The two-day tournament, slated for July 20-21 on the streets around city hall, used to be a community staple in the early 1990s. After taking a 19 year hiatus, the festival-like event has returned to the Sault.

"Anything that can bring people into our community, put heads on beds and put people in shops is important," Dennis Brooks, the Sault's Gus Macker chairperson, explained. "For a community our size, it's important to generate interest in getting people out and creating awareness about tourism opportunities."

Since January, when the decision was made to bring the tournament back, city officials and volunteers have been hard at work planning and organizing the athletic event.

Now that funding for the event has been secured, they're actively pursuing tournament participants. The mail-in registration deadline is Friday, June 28. Online registration closes on Monday, July 1.

Though Brooks and other tournament officials won't know exactly how many teams plan to participate until these deadlines have passed, they're hoping and preparing for 200 teams.

"We're hoping to get pretty significant numbers for the tournament," Brooks said. "We haven't done it in a while, so we just don't know. Plans are coming along well (though)."

During the Sault's Gus Macker peak, when the tournament took place on Lake Superior State University's campus, over 600 teams participated. Brooks estimated that around 10,000 spectators attended the tournament then. They're currently planning on an influx of 2,000 to 3,000 people for the late-July fundraiser.

After operational expenses — trucking of equipment, printing of brochures and other signage, tent rental, purchasing of Gus Macker licenses and trophy construction — funds gathered will be split between school sports programs throughout the Eastern U.P. and Hospice of the EUP.

In addition to the games, the event will feature food vendors, children's activities and a variety of live entertainment.

Tournament organizers are still securing volunteers to assist with registration, putting together trophies, delivering food to volunteers, running score sheets from gaming areas to bracket tents and garbage collection. Those interested in volunteering can contact the Sault's Convention and Visitors Bureau at 632-3366. They will make sure interested community members make it on a list and end up wherever volunteers are needed, Brooks said.

"People interested in helping us out don't have to be basketball oriented," he explained. "We can always use volunteers."

As long as the weather holds out, Brooks anticipates everything going as planned.

"To be honest, I will be happy with 72 and sunny," he said. "The rest of it we can cover."